Bias mechanism for matching the trajectories of guns



March 10, 1959 V w m sc ETAL 2,876,679

BIAS MECHANISM FOR MATCHING THE TRAJECTORIES OF GUNS Filed Dec. .12, 1957 I INVENTOR.

- FRANK w. DIETSCH c WALTON MUSSER W6 QM ff fjWQW-RM BrAsmcnANrsMroRMarcmNearnr TRAJECTORIES F GUNS Frank W. Diets c l1 ,,Lev ittown, Pa andJCVllaltpmMusser,

l3everly,Mass=, assignors to the lInitedSta'tes of Amerme as represented'by, the; Secretary -of;the- Army "Atpplication December-12, 1957, Ser'i'aI No. 702,489"

3 Claims. or. 89-41) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to mechanisms for maintaining between the barrels of a major and a minor gun a bias, or angular relation, such that the trajectories of the two weapons are automatically matched at all elevations of the major weapon so that projectiles fired from the two weapons always arrive at the same target. An additional feature is the provision of a mechanism whereby such a match between the trajectories of the two weapons may be effected in connection with the use of different combinations of ammunition.

Important advantages of these mechanisms are that they (1) permit the use of more than one major weapon with a single spotting rifle, and (2) require only a slight adjustment to adapt them for use in connection with different combinations of ammunition. In each case, the mechanism operates on the forward portion of the barrel of the minor gun and is activated in response to change in the elevation of the major gun.

The invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope is indicated by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view of a dual weapon system illustrating a preferred form of the invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the details of the rear support,

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of support for the forward portion of the minor weapon, this support being designed to permit the use of three different combinations of ammunition, and

Fig. 5 shows certain features of this modification as viewed from the right-hand side of Fig. 4 and with the control knob omitted.

Fig. 1 illustrates a major weapon which includes a barrel and is fixed to a support 11. The support 11 is pivoted to a base 12 by means of a shaft 13. Mounted on the shaft 13 is a stationary gear 14 which meshes with the teeth of a rack 15. The rack 15 is slidably supported on the barrel 10 and is mechanically coupled to a member 16 through an adjustable connection 17. A minor weapon includes a barrel 18 which has its rear portion supported by a bracket 19 and has its forward portion supported by the generally wedge shaped member 16 illustrated. The support of the rack 15 is held in contact with the barrel 10 by a slot in the bracket 19 or in any other suitable manner.

As hereinafter explained, the bracket 19 supports the rear portion of the minor weapon in a spherical bearing, the member 16 supports the forward portion of this weapon upon a generally wedge or cam-shaped surface, and change in the elevation of the major weapon operates through the fixed gear 14 and the slidable rack 15 to move the member 16 in a manner to insure that the two weapons have the same trajectories for each elevation of the major weapon.

2,876,679 Patented Mar. 10, 1959 2v As indicated-by Fi'g-Q the bracket'19- includes an opening 20 -which-isshrink fitted on the barrel 1'0 ofthe major weapon, 'anopening 21 which surrounds the barreel of .the .minor -weapon, and a mount for certain-fire control apparatus (not shown).

Associated with the opening 21 are .a .recoil .pad

" 212-.2.3, a P1112245. a;gimhal.spring:25 and-a pressure; ring 26. Howtliese;vauious-partsare assembled to form-the rear support .of thebarrel 18 is indicated bywl'iigti r 7 It. will, .be notedthat the barrel 18 has a-slot 27 which fits the split spherical surfaced ball 22-23. This fastens the rear of the minor weapon to the bracket 19. Since the seat between the ball and the bracket is spherical, it permits the barrel 18 to swivel within the adjustment range of member 16 without introducing any strain in the barrel 18. The gimbal spring 25 is so designed that it exerts only a force tending to push the ball into the bracket, sufficient pressure for this purpose being supplied by the pressure ring 26 when its flange abuts the face of the bracket 19.

As previously indicated, the member 16 is moved along the barrel 10 in accordance with the elevation of the major weapon. The forward portion of the barrel 18 is supported upon the upper surface of this member, and this surface has a contour such that the trajectories of the two weapons are matched for all elevations of the major weapon. This contour is determined by trial firing of the wapon and is good for only one combination of ammunition.

The modification of Figs. 4 and 5 is adapted to the use of three different combinations of ammunitions in that it includes three members 31, 32 and 33 arranged to be rotated by a knob 34 so that they are successively brought into engagement with cam-shaped surfaces 28, 29 and 30. Each of these surfaces, like that of the member 16 (see Fig. 1), is precut to maintain a predetermined relation between the trajectories of the major and minor weapons for different combinations of ammunitions.

In the operation of either of the two modifications, the first step is to zero the major weapon on the target. The cam-shaped member is then locked in zero position by means of the clamping screw 35 and the major weapon is given the required elevation. As this elevation is changed the cam-shaped member will slide between the barrels of the two weapons. Since the cam-surface is precut to match the major and minor ammunition characteristics, the angle between the barrels of the two weapons will always be such that their trajectories are matched.

We claim:

1. In a system including a major gun having a means for changing its firing elevation and a minor gun, the combination of a support fixed to the barrel of said major gun and providing a spherical bearing surface for supporting the rear portion of said minor gun, means movable with respect to the barrel of said major gun for supporting the forward portion of said minor gun, said movable means having a cam shaped supporting surface of a contour, by which a predetermined relation is maintained between the trajectories of said guns, and means movable in response to a change in the elevation of said major gun for adjusting said movable means to maintain said relation.

2. In a system including a major gun having a means for changing its firing elevation and a minor gun, the combination of a support fixed to the barrel of said major gun and providing a spherical bearing surface for supporting the rear portion of said minor gun, means movable with respect to the barrel of said major gun for supporting the forward portion of said minor gun,

- for changing its firing elevation and a minor gun the combination of a support fixed tothe barrel of said major gun and providing a spherical bearing surface for supporting the rear portion of said minor gun, means longitudinally movable along the barrel of said major gun for supporting the forward portion of said minor gun, said means having a darn shaped supporting surface of a contour by which a predetermined relation is maintained between the trajectories of said guns, and means movable in accordance with the elevation of said major gun for adjusting said movable means to maintain said relation.

RefereucesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Revelli Sept. 25, 1917 Stone Jan. 8, 1924 

